


Let The Sky Fall

by the_technicolor_whiscash



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: F/M, Knight in shining armor Teresa lisbon, Medieval/fantasy au, Prince Patrick Jane, Trust me this is gonna be wild, its good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-08-28 23:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 10,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8466934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_technicolor_whiscash/pseuds/the_technicolor_whiscash
Summary: Patrick Jane is the prince of the kingdom of California, and Teresa Lisbon is a knight who accidentally saves his life. Dragons, drama, and disaster are sure to follow when Prince Patrick is involved.





	1. The Prince and the Knight

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so a note you're probably wondering why Jane is only a prince and not a king if his parents in the story are dead  
> It's because he was never coronated as king they tried to get him to do it a bunch of times but he just kept avoiding it and so they just settle with him as prince. His advisor Kimball Cho is still bitter about that.

Patrick thought it was the end when he fell out of the sky. Well, he didn't fall, exactly. He was dropped. From hundreds of feet up. By a dragon. It had been a rough day.  
As he fell, he reflected on his situation. If he hit the ground at this speed, he would surely be dead. Yet somehow, he felt as though he wouldn't be killed. Not here, anyway. Something would happen, and he would be saved. Or so he hoped.  
As he reached terminal velocity, he realized that his hope was probably all for naught, and he should just accept that this is the end, and they would have to scrape the remains of Crown Prince Patrick Jane off of a rock. He knew in situations like this that most people would pray to the gods, but Patrick had never really been that religious, so he just kept falling in silence.  
Then, he heard a whoosh, felt something slam into him, and all of a sudden his free-fall became more of a diagonal fall, and then horizontal, and then it stopped. The whole time, his eyes were glued shut, since he didn't really want to face his demise. But he then realized that he wasn't dead, and he slowly opened his eyes.  
He looked around and realized that he was riding on some sort of Pegasus, and the rider of the Pegasus was a knight, in armor that had clearly seen many battles. It was covered in slashes and dents, and certain places looked like they had caved in but had been hammered back into place. The knight was wearing a helmet with a dark blue plume sticking out of the top, and had a sword strapped to his side. At least Patrick assumed it was a he. Most knights were men, and the ones that weren't, at least in his kingdom, definitely didn't wear armor as serious as this one. Then again, the way the knight carried themselves was more feminine, but Patrick couldn't find out more until they took their helmet off, or at least decided to speak.  
They descended to the ground, the knight getting off of the Pegasus's back first. They went up to the pegasus's head and pat it gently, before offering a hand to Patrick to help him down.  
"Thanks for helping me out. I was pretty sure I was a goner!" Patrick said, as he took the knight's hand and slid off of the horse. The knight just nodded in response, while pulling out a crumpled piece of parchment which unfurled into a map of the kingdom. Patrick, quite frankly, had no idea where he was. All he knew was that he had been kidnapped by a dragon for a few days, who then proceeded to drop him like an old glove.  
The knight, apparently figuring out where they were, folded the map up and shoved it into one of the saddlebags on the Pegasus. They put a foot in the stirrup and swung into the saddle, preparing to take off.  
"Wait! Are you just going to leave me here?" Jane exclaimed, scared that he would have to fend in the woods for himself. It wasn't that he couldn't, it was just that he didn't quite know where he was going, and there were rumors about the forest and the evil creatures lurking within. Plus, after what had happened all those years ago with the dragon destroying everything he held dear... he didn't want to run into anything like that again.  
"Of course I'm not going to leave you behind. You're the crown prince. If I left you behind, you probably wouldn't be able to fend for yourself in the forest." The knight said, in a muffled but distinctly female voice.  
Then, she reached up and took off her helmet, and Patrick almost gasped. It WAS a woman, and not just any woman. A woman who was absolutely stunning. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that he thought that. That would be rude. Instead, he analyzed her. He had always been able to read people better than anyone else he knew, and he used that skill to his advantage. He could tell just by looking at someone and having a short conversation what their favorite book is, if their father is alive, how many siblings they have, and so much more. But he found this woman hard to read. She was clearly trying to look noble, but came from more humble backgrounds. Other than that, he couldn't quite tell much else about her.  
"What's your name, anyway?" Patrick said, as he got onto the Pegasus behind the knight.  
"Dame Teresa Lisbon." She said.  
"Teresa. That's a pretty name." He paused. "You're not really a dame, are you?"  
He could tell that that struck a nerve. She tightened her grip on the reigns. "No. But it sounds better if I say that I am."  
"Ah. And I expect you know who I am."  
Teresa nodded. "Yeah. You're crown prince Patrick Jane."  
As she was saying that, she flicked the reigns, and the Pegasus flew into the air. Patrick tried to hold onto the saddle, but he found that he couldn't stay on without wrapping his arms around Teresa in an uncomfortable position, with his head somewhat mashed against her metal armor. She had put her helmet back on, so he couldn't read her expression, but he expect that she was not happy. He couldn't quite tell why, though. She had just saved the crown prince! All of the kingdom of California would be happy! She would be given payment for her duties, and be regarded as a hero throughout the nation.  
At least that was what everyone else would say. Patrick knew that that wouldn't be the case. The nation wasn't fond of him, and he had a sneaking suspicion that they were happy he had been captured by a dragon. It was all because of the damn incident with the dragon.  
See, years ago, Patrick claimed to the nation that he could communicate with spirits. Such an ability was celebrated throughout the kingdom, and throughout the entire land. He received letters from kingdoms as far away as Florida congratulating him for his gifts. But he couldn't communicate with spirits. No one could. He played it off as though he could just to win the hearts of the people. And then, the dragon came. At first, it started small. Villagers from the outer sectors of California's capitol city, Sacramento, had been slowly disappearing and reappearing as nothing more than bones. When it began, people thought of it as no more than some foul prank gone wrong. But it was no prank. The kingdom realized that it was a dragon, and that it was an imminent threat. And then, Patrick did the unspeakable. He claimed that he could communicate with the spirit of the dragon, and see right into its soul, and tell it to stop. Well, it did not stop. In fact, it came right for everything which Patrick held dear. By the time the dragon had left, the city was in ruins. And Patrick's poor wife and child were found dead in their bedroom, their throats personally cut by the dragon known as Red John. Patrick tried many times to find the dragon after that, but to no avail. So instead, Patrick turned to bettering himself. He denounced himself as a fraud, and lost the respect of most everyone in the kingdom, perhaps the world. But respect didn't matter to him. He was going so slay Red John, so help him, he was going to kill that son of a bitch even if it killed him.


	2. Three Days Earlier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days ago, Crown Prince Patrick Jane was abducted by a dragon. Here's how it went down...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLAAAAAASH-BAAAAAACK

THREE DAYS AGO

Patrick strolled around the grounds of his castle, admiring the beauty of the surrounding gardens. He himself had handpicked many of the flowers and trees which were planted there, all to provide maximum enjoyment. He whistled an old tune, and felt as though his life was alright.   
Then, he heard the sound of footsteps running behind him. His chief advisor, Kimball Cho, came running up to him.   
"Jane. The dragon's back." Cho said, and Patrick's face fell. He had had many people out searching for the dragon for years to no avail, and now the dragon decided to show himself again.   
What was the dragon going to do now, he thought. Patrick had no family left, and his friends were less friends and more acquaintances who tolerated his eccentricness. He was close to Cho, but that was just because Cho was his chief advisor, and he had to be close to him.   
They quickly made their way back towards the castle, and they had just reached the heavy wooden doors when Patrick heard it. The sound of loud wings flapping. Soon after, he saw him. The dragon. However, he noticed something odd. The dragon wasn't Red John. It was another dragon, a smaller dragon. But it's size made it no less intimidating.   
Cho tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. Patrick felt his pockets, but found that he didn't have his key with him. And before he knew it, the dragon had him in his claws, flying him far away. 

Hearing a loud scratching noise, Patrick awoke from a light slumber. He found himself to be lying on a rock face on a large mountain, and memories of what had happened the day before flooded back to him.   
The dragon which had kidnapped him landed in front of him on the rock. Without speaking, the beast grasped Patrick in his claws once again and flew off.   
"Excuse me!" Patrick yelled, "Where are you taking me?"   
The dragon's face folded into a snarl, and he spoke in a raspy voice with somewhat of an accent. Southern, maybe. "I'm taking you to Red John. He told me that if I brought him to you, he'd give me half of his stash. Knowin' him, he's got quite the collection. I'll be rich, ya hear?"   
Patrick, wishing to get out of this uncomfortable situation, replied, "Well, if you let me go, I'll make sure the kingdom of California pays you with at least as much loot as what Red John would have given you." That was a lie. He knew that they'd probably just have a bunch of soldiers slay the dragon. But he was damn good at lying.   
"How do I know ya not lyin' ta me?" The dragon may have acted like he was unconvinced, but his voice gave it away. He was a dragon. He would do anything for loot. Which was why he was carting Patrick off to the middle of nowhere.   
"I'm the Crown Prince. I can pretty much do whatever I want, so long as it doesn't hurt the kingdom." Patrick said, and he gave his best 'bartering' smile.   
"Hmm..." the dragon mused. "I'll think about it."   
They flew for some time more in silence. Well, the dragon was silent. Patrick kept trying to make small talk, asking about the dragon's past, the weather, and the changing of the seasons. He knew it was futile, but he kept talking. Because secretly, Patrick was terrified, and talking helped take his mind off of his imminent doom. 

The day came and went. Patrick had no idea where they were, and his back was starting to ache from being held in an awkward position for so long. Finally, they stopped at a large mountain. They had been flying along the legendary Sierra Nevada mountain range, and Patrick wondered just how far they had come. Judging by how fast the dragon could fly, alongside how much time had come... well, it would take a long time to get back.   
They spent the night on the mountain, with Patrick getting a healthy one hour of sleep. Not like it was easy to sleep on a mountainside, with a dragon eight feet away from you. In the morning, they continued their flight up the mountains.   
That was when the dragon decided to drop him out of the sky. He gave no warning, and just released him out of his claws. And that was how Patrick ended up in the predicament we saw in the last chapter: falling out of the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I should give y'all a bit of background on how Jane ended up falling out of the sky, you know, as you do


	3. Teresa! Come Back!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Lisbon argue in the woods and then build a tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't great but it's a bit of buildup for what's to come

"Teresa! TERESA! COME BACK!" Patrick yelled as he ran after Teresa and her Pegasus. She had kicked him off of the flying horse because to no one's surprise, he pissed her off with his antics. At first she handled his sarcasm and his questionable responses to things, but over time she got sick of his shit and kicked him off of her Pegasus. In a way, he figured that he probably deserved it, but he still needed to get back to Sacramento, and she was the only person he had seen in three days, so he was entirely dependent on her. Literally. He could not survive in the woods. He would die.   
And he knew that she knew that. And yet there she was, flying away, while he ran after her, waving his arms and screaming.   
"TEREEEESSAAAAAAA! COME BACK!" He screamed, and she turned around to look at him. He gave her his best 'helpless' face, and she rolled her eyes. Finally, she began to fly back down towards him.   
"If we're going to be flying together, I'm going to have to lay down some ground rules." She said, once she got within earshot. Patrick nodded. Ground rules meant effectively nothing to him, but he had to get back home somehow.   
"First of all, you can't contradict everything I say. It's a three days' flight back, and we can't keep arguing with each other. Secondly, I don't need your sass." She said, and landed her Pegasus on the ground.   
Patrick walked up to her and began to pet the pegasus's snout. "What's her name?"   
Teresa sneered, but replied, "Sugar."   
Patrick smiled. "That's cute. Where'd you get her?"   
Teresa slid off of Sugar's back and started to tighten her saddle. "From my time in the king's army."   
"Yeah, I was wondering about that. Not many women get accepted into the army." Patrick knew a few of them, and none were as fair as Teresa. Then again, he had never seen many women as fair as Teresa. Of course, he wouldn't tell her that. That would be rude. Plus, he had a sneaking suspicion that if he told her that he was into her, she'd leave him in the woods for dead.   
"Well, how does anyone get accepted into the army? I showed my skills on the battlefield and was drafted." She said, and swung herself onto Sugar.   
Patrick pulled himself onto the Pegasus behind Teresa, and they took off. For a while, they flew in silence. Then, Patrick's stomach growled loudly.   
"You wouldn't happen to have any food, would you?" He said, and Teresa again rolled her eyes. He found that she did that a lot.   
She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a hunk of... something. It sort of looked like meat, but Patrick couldn't quite tell what it was. She handed it to him. "Here."  
Patrick flipped it around in his fingers, frowning. "Uh... Thanks?" He hesitantly took a bite out of it. It was extremely salty and hard, and yet it was somehow stringy? People actually ate this?  
He took a few bites out of it, before gently dropping it into the sky, to be lost forever. He hoped Teresa didn't see his disposal of the meat (?), but she was extremely perceptive. If she did notice, she didn't say anything.   
After a long period of awkward, uncomfortable silence, they began to descend towards the forest.   
"Why are we stopping?" Patrick asked, still anxious to get home.   
"Because the sun is going to set, and I want to set up camp for the night so that way we can get an early start in the morning.” She said, and pulled a tent out of the saddlebag. She somehow managed to fit everything under the sun in that bag.   
Together, they set up the small canvass tent between two trees. They stood for a moment to admire their work… and then realized how small the tent was. They'd be squished in there pretty tightly. Plus, the forest was terrifying at night. Noises came from all around, and who knows what creatures lurk in the shadows. Patrick wasn't built for life in the forest, not by a long shot. Luckily, Teresa seemed to know what she was doing, so he'd just have to follow her lead. Ah, what he'd give for a warm cup of tea and a good book! But that would come in due course.   
“So…” Teresa started, her eyes flickering between Patrick and the small tent, “Are we both gonna fit in there?”  
Patrick opened up one of the tent flaps and peered inside. “Sure, why not. I don't take up too much room, and you're skinny as a rail, so we ought to fit.”   
Teresa leaned over beside him to look into the tent. “Fine. But you stay on your side of the tent and I'll stay on my side.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically this chapter was filler  
> Don't worry it'll get better I have a plan


	4. Teresa And The Serpent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teresa and Patrick travel through the woods and encounter something... unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I got a great idea for the story so after this chapter is gonna be another chapter detailing the history of this universe and it's gonna be interesting

Patrick awoke to the sound of Teresa swearing colorfully. He sat up and lifted one of the tent flaps to see her running around, screaming.   
“What's the matter?” He asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.   
Teresa paused her yelling and looked at him. He could tell that she had been crying at some point. “Sugar… she's gone. Must've gotten loose overnight and flown off.” She kicked a log and screamed. “DAMNIT! She had all of my supplies, my food, even a few of my weapons.”   
He eyed the sword which had apparently still been strapped to her waist, alongside the bow and quiver she had hung from a tree. “You have more weapons than that?”  
She sat down on the log she had just kicked and ran a hand through her hair. “I had some knives, more arrows. I hardly think that's the most important issue at hand. Who knows how long it'll take us to get back now? It might be weeks!”   
And he knew right then and there that it wasn't just the loss of her weapons she was disappointed about. She would now have to spend much longer with the wonderfully irritating Patrick Jane. That really helped Patrick’s self esteem. But he covered up his damaged confidence with a weak smile. “Well, we can always hunt for food.”  
He sat down beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. She sighed. “It's gonna take us forever to get back. I still have a map on me, but I won't be able to tell where we are or where we’re going.”   
Patrick thought for a moment, and then replied, “Well, I might be able to help you with that.”   
Teresa raised an eyebrow. “How? You have no idea where we are either.”   
“You can tell the direction you're going by looking at the sun. Since it rises in the east and sets in the west, and the sun is rising right now, we can tell that north is…” he spun around and pointed towards the trees. “That way.”   
“Huh.” Teresa said, thinking for a moment. “Makes sense. Alright, let's get packed up and head that way.”   
They quickly took down their canvass tent and wrapped it up. Since Teresa had her heavy armor on, Patrick was forced to carry the tent. Despite his lack of experience in trekking through the woods, he was relatively strong, and could carry the tent with ease.   
The first hour or so they walked in silence, both secretly glad to have the other for company. Sure, they had just met yesterday, but when you're hiking through terrifying woods along an unfamiliar mountain range filled with monsters and fauna only spoken of in myths, well, you're glad to have anyone with you.   
Then, Patrick heard a noise coming from the woods. “Uh, what was that?”  
Teresa turned and looked into the woods around them. “Probably just a deer or something.”  
Patrick heard it again and he stopped. “Teresa, I think something might actually be out there.”   
Placing a hand on her sword, Teresa surveyed the trees more thoroughly. When the noise stopped, she began to relax. “Like I said. Probably just a dee-!”  
She stopped mid-sentence when something came out of the woods. Something large, threatening, and nothing like either of them had ever seen before. It was a serpentlike creature, with spines jutting down its body and a forked tongue peeking out from its teeth. It was about thirty feet long, with fangs the size of a man. Patrick slowly backed up behind Teresa as she pulled out her sword, ready to fight.   
“That's definitely not a deer!” Patrick said, and he knew Teresa would have rolled her eyes if they weren't facing imminent doom. The beast reared, and struck its head towards them. Teresa rolled one way and Patrick rolled the other, and while Teresa was ready to face the creature head on, Patrick was climbing a tree in an attempt to avoid it. Unfortunately, it was so tall that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even get high enough to avoid its head. And the serpent, for some unknown reason, had decided to target him.   
Patrick hid behind the tree and tried to get out of the serpent’s line of sight. He held his breath in a desperate attempt to keep it from hearing him, but it slithered closer and closer until he could feel the monster’s warm breath against his face.   
Just as he thought that he was going to die, he heard Teresa yelling from behind him, and saw as the serpent recoiled due to the arrow now lodged in its neck. Although, would it have a neck, since it's technically all neck? Patrick wasn't sure. He'd have to worry about that later. The serpent slithered towards Teresa, who now had her sword drawn. It tried to strike, and Teresa countered by slashing across its nose. Due to its sheer size, the wound barely harmed it, but it was still slightly fazed. Patrick guessed that it hadn't expected her to fight back.   
Teresa and the serpent attempted to strike each other again, over and over dodging and avoiding the other’s strikes. Then, Patrick got an idea. He picked up a large rock and whipped it as hard as he could at the serpent’s head. The stone just bounced against it, but it was enough to distract it and cause it to turn around to find the source of the disturbance. When it turned, Teresa dashed up and stabbed it in the soft flesh of its belly. Her sword sunk in all the way to its hilt, and she released it as the snake jerked backwards. It hissed one last time, before falling backwards, its body slamming to the ground, the hideous yellow eyes still open and staring.   
Teresa pulled her sword out of its stomach and slipped it back into its scabbard. Patrick slowly walked up to her, glancing at the serpent to make sure it was dead.   
“Thanks for saving my life.” He said.  
Teresa looked at the snake and then back at Patrick. “I should be thanking you. If you hadn't distracted it, I would've been toast.”   
They stood in silence for a moment, catching their breath. Then, Patrick noticed something.   
“Teresa, you're hurt.” He said, pointing to a gash on her arm. It didn't look deep, but it would definitely cause her some pain.   
She looked at the wound and sighed. “Well isn't that wonderful. I had some first aid supplies in my saddlebag, but that doesn't help us now.”   
“You mind if I take a look?” Patrick asked, and she held out her injured arm. It was pretty gruesome, although it wasn't bleeding as much as he'd expected. “I have something that may be able to help, but you have to promise not to be too weirded out by it.”  
Teresa raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”  
Patrick held up his hand and concentrated. Suddenly, his hand began to glow. “Magic.”


	5. A History Of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief history of magic within this universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm enjoying creating lore within this au it's fun

Long ago, magic was a skill revered by all of the kingdoms of North America. Magicians were famous throughout the land due to their powers, which ranged from healing to the ability to knit a sweater just by snapping their fingers. However, each magician was given their powers at birth, and each magician’s powers were unique and distinct. One, for example, could bring the rain by crying. Another could shoot lasers out of their eyes, but only on tuesdays. Even though many revered and respected these magicians, there were also many who opposed them, those who thought that the magicians would try to take over the governments.  
Then, a magician was born. His birth was foretold by the magicians who could see into the future. This magician could raise the dead, but those he resurrected would not be human. They would be monstrous, with no memory of their past lives. Some tried to kill him, but failed and ended up dead themselves. All feared him. When he grew to the age of twenty-five, he did the unthinkable. He gathered a group of other magicians who could control the dead or take life and invaded the castle of Sacramento, killing many and harming many others. But the group of magicians was much smaller than the armies of the kingdom, and the rebellion was struck down. The man who could raise the dead was executed, but not until after he proclaimed that he would be back, and be stronger than ever.   
Ever since then, magicians have been persecuted. Those who were born with magic were killed, their ashes buried in unmarked graves. The ones who survived did not practice their magic, and if the people found that someone practiced magic, they would be burned at the stake.   
Patrick found out that he could use magic when he was ten. Of course, he hadn't told anyone for fear that they would kill him. Being the crown prince did not help when your powers are considered evil. He used them sparsely, only when he was sure no one else was looking. He slowly trained himself how to use them, and now could call his powers at ease. He could heal anyone with just the touch of his hand. No one else ever knew that he had these powers. No one else, except for his wife… and now Teresa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was short but it was necessary to illustrate the way magic works in this universe


	6. The Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teresa and Patrick realize that they're running out of water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this to get off of a long bout of writers block so if it sucks bear with me

Teresa backed away from him, clutching her injury. “Get away from me!”  
Patrick’s heart fell. He figured this would happen, he just didn't realize just how hurtful it would be. “Teresa, please. I'm not going to hurt you. Besides, you're my only chance of getting home.”  
Teresa’s expression softened slightly, but she still stayed a distance away from him. “How do I know you're not going to turn me into some kind of monster, or raise the dead or something?”  
Patrick attempted to look laid back. “Do you really think someone like me could raise the dead?” He paused. “Besides, the magic I can do is healing magic. I can fix anything from paper cuts to sword wounds. I just can't bring back the dead.” With that statement, his voice got quiet. If he had been able to raise the dead, he would have brought his family back. But he couldn't.   
That seemed to calm her down, and she hesitantly held her arm out to him. He placed his hand over the wound, and immediately his hand began to grow warm. The wound shrunk smaller and smaller, until eventually all that was left was a small white scar. “That’ll fade in a few days.”   
Teresa ran her fingers over the scar, eyes wide. “Wow, Patrick, that's amazing.”   
Patrick felt himself blushing and quickly tried to hide the feeling. “It's not that big of a deal.” Then, he remembered something. “You can’t tell anyone about this. I could be put to death.”   
Teresa nodded. “If we get out of this alive, I swear I won't tell anyone.”   
Patrick smiled. “Thanks.” 

 

They spent the rest of the day walking through the woods, Patrick still a little nervous about letting Teresa know about his magic and Teresa a little nervous that they were walking the wrong way, given that Patrick was leading them. Naturally, they didn't tell each other about their worries, and instead just walked in silence. The woods were surprisingly peaceful, especially since they had just gotten attacked by a giant snake. They couldn't let your guard down, though, because who knows what might be creeping in the darkness.   
After some time, Patrick noticed Teresa pawing through her bag. “What're you looking for?”  
“Water. I was sure I had another bottle…” Her voice trailed off as she came to a disturbing realization. “We’re out of water.”   
Patrick ran a hand through his luscious curls. “Well now, that is a problem.”   
Teresa sighed. “There has to be a river or something somewhere. All else fails, we tap into a tree and get water from there. Won't be much, but it'll be something.”   
Patrick examined the surrounding woods. He wasn't exactly a naturalist, but he knew enough about which trees would have the most water. He couldn't predict where a river would be, though, and a river would be their best chance of survival. “I say we keep walking, and if we don't run into a river, then we resort to the trees.”   
“Agreed.”   
And so they continued, constantly listening to see if they could hear the sound of a river. Unfortunately for them, there was not a drop in sight, and they were starting to get tired.   
“Maybe we should set up camp for the night so we can get an early start in the morning.” Patrick said, leaning against a tree.   
Teresa nodded. “Alright.” She took the tent from Patrick, who had still been holding it, even after all that had happened. “We can set it up so it collects the dew so we can have at least a little drinking water.”   
Patrick looked impressed. “Good idea.” He had no idea how to do something like that, so he decided to try to do something he knew he could do: hunting.   
His hunting skills were a little rusty, as all of his hunting knowledge came from fox-hunting with noblemen on the grounds of the castle, and he hadn't done that in a long time, but he still knew how it was done. Soon, he had a rabbit and a few squirrels. A hearty dinner, and they could save whatever they didn't eat.   
When he came back, he found that Teresa had been busy. The tent was set up in a way that would allow water to drip into canteens, and there was a blazing fire which Teresa stood by, poking with a stick. She had also built what looked like a makeshift roasting spit. Damn, Patrick thought, she can do anything.   
They roasted up what Patrick had caught and had dinner in silence. And that was ok. Not like they had much to talk about. Sure, Patrick would have liked to know more about Teresa, but she didn't exactly seem like the sharing type. Besides, Patrick was worried that if he said anything, he would accidentally let spill that he found her very attractive. He still figured that if he told her that, she'd kill him. Or worse, leave him in the woods for dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind all of my survival knowledge comes from reading survival books and the hunger games so if any of this is innacurate that is because I do not live in the woods


	7. The Days Passing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick realizes just how seriously he's falling in love with Teresa, and they encounter a large bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy here comes some violence

Patrick was starting to lose track of how long they had been in the woods. By his calculations, they would be close to civilization now, right? Please? He was getting desperate. Sure, the woods were pretty, but after getting attacked by a giant snake and running out of water, it kind of loses its luster. Besides, he was running out of topics of conversation. He had resorted to talking about different types of trees, and as interesting as it was to him, Teresa got bored of it pretty quickly.   
They still hadn't found a river, which Patrick found to be odd, since he figured there must be at least one river in this entire godforsaken mountain range. They had been able to get water from dew and trees, but it wasn't much. If they didn't find a river soon, they'd be pretty much screwed.   
A few nights later, Patrick laid on a log outside of their tent, staring at the stars. They were quite beautiful. And once again, his thoughts went to Teresa. His beautiful knight in shining armor. As much as he tried to deny it, he couldn't help that he was falling in love with her. Of course, he knew that falling in love was treacherous. It was very likely that she didn't love him back, but that wasn't even the worst of his worries. He feared that the dragon Red John would try to kill Teresa, as he had killed Patrick’s wife and child in the past. So he just tried to bottle up his feelings, in an attempt to protect her.   
He heard the tent flaps rustle behind him, and he turned to see Teresa coming out of the tent. Speak of the devil.   
Teresa looked once at Patrick, and then up towards the stars. “Beautiful night.”   
Ha. Patrick thought, nodding to her. If only she knew what I was thinking.   
“I wonder how close we’re getting to Sacramento.” She said, running a hand through her long, dark hair.   
“Not sure. We’ve been walking for quite a while.” Patrick mused.   
Teresa glanced into the woods around them. The dark, ominous, forbidding woods. Then, she pointed into an especially dark part of the woods, and her voice quieted. “There's something over there. I can't make out what it is, but it's big.”   
Patrick sat up and looked where Teresa had been pointing. He could tell that there was definitely something there, he just couldn't quite tell what…  
RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHH!  
A bear burst out of the darkness, bellowing a deep and mighty roar. However, Patrick noticed that this wasn't an ordinary bear. Oh no. Nothing in these woods could be ordinary, much less easy to kill. It was about ten feet tall, with fangs that glistened like pale daggers in the moonlight. When it reared up on its hind legs, it grew to about sixteen feet. Patrick was so mesmerized by the sheer size of the monster that he didn't even notice when it was about to strike him.   
“PATRICK!” Teresa yelled, as she tackled him out of the way, barely missing being grazed by the enormous paws of the bear. Patrick quickly got up and faced the bear, which was rearing up for another attack.  
Patrick, in a panic, turned to Teresa. “Do you have any sort of weapon I could borrow, seeing as my current chances of survival are slim to none?”   
They both dove out of the way as a massive paw slammed to the ground where they had stood just seconds before. Teresa patted her pockets, before yanking out a small dagger and tossing it to Patrick. “Here!”  
Patrick caught it, and then realized just how small the dagger was compared to the bear, and just how small he was compared to the bear. He also realized that he had never actually encountered a normal sized bear before, so he had no idea how to kill one.   
The bear gave another deep bellow and swung its paw at Patrick again. He dashed backwards, desperately looking for a chance to try to strike it down. Just as he realized that he should go for the neck, the bear whipped around to face Teresa, who had just shot it in the back with an arrow. She aimed the bow towards the beast, a snarl crossing her face. “Now, Patrick!”  
Before the bear knew what was happening, Patrick ran up to it and imbedded his dagger deep within the beast’s neck. It pawed at its throat for a few seconds before falling to the ground, dead. Patrick stepped back. He had never killed anything in such a brutal way before. He wasn't used to it. Frankly, it scared him.   
“Phew.” Teresa said as she poked the bear with her sword. “Nice work with that dagger.”   
Patrick took a breath to calm himself down, while attempting to retain his cool and composed atmosphere. “Yeah, thanks for that.”  
He looked away as Teresa yanked her dagger out of the bear’s neck. She wiped it on a rag and held it out to him. “Here. You might need this in the future.”   
As he took it from her, his hands brushed against hers, sending sparks tingling throughout him. No. He told himself. It's for your own good. But he couldn't deny it to himself.   
He held it gingerly, examining the blood which still stained the blade. He gently stuck it into his belt. “Thanks.”   
A surprising amount of time had passed since they had first spotted the bear. If they wanted to get going at sunrise, they'd have to get to bed now to get even close to enough sleep. So they retreated back into their tent for the night, Teresa falling right to sleep. But Patrick found that he couldn't. Then again, he often didn't get much sleep, because his mind was always so active. But tonight, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't bring himself to sleep. And maybe that was a sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying   
> The next chapter will be good trust me  
> Then again I say that most chapters  
> But y'all have to trust me because I have a plan for once


	8. An Interruption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone stumbles out of the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ones a little short I think but it's not bad

Patrick was starting to grow concerned that they hadn't at least come to the edge of the woods. He thought that they should've been far away by now, given how long they'd been here. They had been going the right way, he knew that for sure. He just didn't know why it was taking so long.   
He was also worried that another creature would come out of the woods and attack them. Being lost in the woods he could handle well enough, but being attacked by a monster, well, that could cause complications. Sure, he had a weapon now, but it wasn't much. Plus, he wasn't overly fond of fighting for his life.   
Teresa had opened up more as time went on and she grew more used to being around Patrick. Patrick was happy about that. At least now they could carry on a two-sided conversation. And he knew she enjoyed his company, as much as she might've acted annoyed. And unfortunately, Patrick found himself falling more and more in love with her, much to his dismay. Fortunately, he was excellent at bottling up his emotions real tightly and not letting anyone know what he was thinking.   
They had been sitting around their campfire, roasting a rabbit on a spit, when they heard a sound behind them. After their last few times being attacked, they knew to pull out their weapons, Patrick with his dagger and Teresa with her bow. The sound got closer and closer until… a man stumbled into the firelight.   
“Cho?” Patrick exclaimed, quickly recognizing his trusted advisor and friend.   
“Patrick?” Cho said, frowning. “I've been searching for you for weeks!”   
“Cho?” Teresa asked, raising an eyebrow.   
“Lisbon? What are you doing here?” Cho appeared to be extremely confused as to what was going on.   
“I found Patrick, but my Pegasus flew away. We’ve been lost in the woods for ages!” She said, waving her arms around to emphasize the situation.   
“Everyone assumed you had been missing or dead. Your brothers had a bunch of memorial services for you and constantly bugged me to go out and search for you.”   
Patrick stepped foreword, raising a hand. “Wait a minute here. Cho, do you know Teresa?”   
“We met in the military academy and have been friends ever since.” Teresa said, clasping Cho on the shoulder.   
“Really?” Patrick raised an eyebrow. “Guess it really is a small world.”  
“How’d you even manage to get all the way out here, Cho?” Teresa asked.  
Cho scratched his head. “I’m not sure. One minute I’m standing in my office, the next I’m waking up in the middle of the forest.”  
Then realization struck Patrick. Cho wasn’t here with a search and rescue team. He was just as lost as they were.   
“How far do you think it is from here to Sacramento?” Teresa questioned.  
Cho glanced at the surrounding woods. “No idea.”

 

They spent the next day or so informing Cho of what happened to them throughout their time in the woods. Minus the part about Patrick’s magic, of course. Teresa kept her promise and didn’t tell, much to Patrick’s relief.  
But now they had several problems to attend to. They had three people now and not nearly enough water for all of them. Plus, the tent was barely large enough for two people, much less three.   
And there was also one problem that Patrick had to attend to, but kept trying to push it out of his mind. He could no longer deny the fact that he was helplessly in love with Teresa. Every time he looked at her, his heart started to race. He kept telling himself that once they got back to Sacramento, she’d probably go back to the army and never talk to him again, and that he was only in love with her because they were lost in the woods, but it didn’t deter his heart. With Cho here now it was a nice distraction, but he wouldn’t be able to hide it forever. Plus, Cho would probably figure out that he was in love with Teresa within the week. Heck, he probably already knew. Cho had learned quite a few of Patrick’s tricks for reading people, and was incredibly perceptive.   
Patrick guessed that they must’ve walked at least 100 miles by now, and the fact that they hadn’t even found the edge of the treeline by now was concerning. He knew the mountains were big, but he didn’t think they were this big. Besides, the dragon had only been flying for three days when it dropped him. They had been trekking through the woods for almost two weeks. Something was definitely wrong here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY BOY CHO


	9. You Can't Hide Anything From Cho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cho confronts Patrick about the fact that Patrick is in love with Teresa, and later a large tree confronts the three of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just now realizing how darn confusing that summary sounds. Oh well.

When Teresa went off to scout for food, Patrick and Cho were left to tend to the fire. For a while, they sat around it in silence.   
Then, Cho spoke up. “How long have you been in love with Teresa?”   
“Who said I was in love with Teresa?” Patrick said. But he knew it was useless to contradict Cho. The man was nothing if not persistent.   
“Don't lie to me, Jane.” Cho said, giving him a penetrating stare. Cho always called Patrick “Jane” when he knew Jane was trying to cover something up.   
Patrick leaned over and put his head in his hands. “I've been in love with her… pretty much since I met her.”   
Cho nodded. “Have you told her?”   
Patrick chuckled. “No way. I don't want her to kill me or leave me to the giant monster bears.”   
“You really think she’d kill you just because you're into her?”   
Patrick sighed. “No.” He paused. “I just don't want to ruin our friendship.”  
“It's not going to ruin your friendship if you tell her. Remember what happened with Rigsby and Van Pelt? After they broke up they were still friends.”   
“Yeah, but then they got back together and got married.”   
“Exactly.”   
Patrick raised an eyebrow. “Cho, what are you getting at here?”  
Cho leaned foreword to emphasize his argument. “I’m saying you should tell her you like her. Trust me on this.”   
Patrick was a little on the fence, but Cho was his most trusted advisor, and his advice usually rang true…  
“What were you guys talking about?” Teresa said, walking into the light from the fire. Oh gosh. How long had she been listening?  
“Species of birds within the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's quite fascinating, how many there are.” Patrick said, desperately attempting to cover up whatever she might've heard.   
She nodded, but didn't seem convinced. “Ok, Cho, do you wanna tell me what you two were talking about?”  
Cho leaned back on the log he was sitting on. “Like he said. Birds.”  
Teresa gave the both of them a skeptical look, but seemed content that both of their answers had been the same. Once she turned around to begin to pitch the tent for the night, Patrick mouthed ‘Thanks’ to Cho, who simply nodded in response. But he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep up the façade forever.   
Later that night, after Teresa had already gone to bed, Cho walked up to Patrick and whispered one sentence in his ear: “I know about the magic.”  
Before Patrick could reply, Cho was settled down for the night. If he confronted him, it would probably wake up Teresa, or worse, get the attention of some horrifying monster they hadn't encountered yet. So Patrick stayed silent. But he intended to confront Cho about it in the morning. 

 

“Jane! Lisbon!” Cho whispered harshly into the tent. “There's something out here!”  
Patrick and Teresa both bolted up and looked at each other. They both knew it was probably another monster trying to kill them. Running out of the tent, Patrick pulled out his dagger, ready to face whatever beasty may appear.   
The sounds of heavy footsteps approached them, the trees causing it to echo so they couldn't quite tell where it was coming from. And then, it appeared, right in front of Patrick. It wasn't a horrifying monster of the usual sort, no, this time, it was a tree. Not a regular tree by any means, however. It was a living tree, with legs and arms and a face. It was about 50 feet tall, not quite as tall as some non-alive trees, but still quite commanding. It looked at their small group and appeared to ponder what to do next.   
“Who-o-o might youuuu be, trespassing in myyy forest?” The tree spoke, in a deep and booming voice. Pretty much exactly how you'd expect a large tree to sound if it talked.   
Patrick stepped towards the tree and sheathed his dagger. “Hello! My name is Patrick Jane, Crown Prince of California, and this is Kimball Cho, my chief advisor, and Teresa Lisbon, my…” he looked towards her. “What exactly is your position here?”  
She rolled her eyes. “Babysitter, at this point.”  
Patrick frowned mockingly. “Oh, come on Teresa, don't be so grumpy in front of strangers.”   
Teresa smirked, but said nothing. The tree creature observed them once again, or observed as well as one could observe if your eyes were made out of wood.   
Seeming content that they weren't going to try to kill him, the tree spoke again. “Myyy name iiiis Sequoiadendron, but mooost people just caaall me Sequoia.”  
Patrick was impressed. “Oh, like the type of tree? That's neat.”  
Sequoia appeared to be pleased. “Thaaank you, miiister Patrick Jaaaane.”  
“Please, just call me Patrick.” Patrick said. He was trying hard to get on the tree’s good side. He could be a powerful ally, if there were ever any trouble.   
The tree bent its mighty knees and kneeled in front of Patrick to get a better look at him. “Weeeell Patrick, how did youuu come across these wooooods?”  
Patrick smiled. “To tell you the truth, it's quite the long story, but long story short, I was dropped here by a dragon and my colleagues here just sort of happened to drop by. Now we’re lost in the mountains with no easy way to get back, and we’re running low on water.”  
Sequoia smiled (or as close to a smile as you'd expect from a tree) and leaned closer. “Weeell, I can heeelp you with the waaater.”   
Leaning over, they could see that the top of the tree man’s head was a small spring of water. Patrick wasn't even going to bother asking how that managed to work. After he and Teresa had refilled the few water bottles she had, Patrick asked the tree, “Have you any idea how we can get back to Sacramento, or at least get out of these woods?”  
The tree stroke its chin with its mighty tree hand, before pointing towards the north. “I beeeelieve if you walk abooout thirty miiiles that way, yooou’ll come across a smaaall town. Theeey might be aaable to help youuu.”  
Patrick clapped his hands together. “Well, that is wonderful. Thank you so much for your assistance, Sequoia.”   
Sequoia gave a respectful nod. “It iiis no proooblem. I am glaaad to help weeaary travelllers.”  
Once Sequoiadendron left, they began to trek north, towards where he had pointed out. If the tree man was right, they would be at a town, and at human civilization, within the next two days.   
And Patrick still hadn't told Teresa that he likes her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the tree is named after giant sequoia trees I have very little skill when it comes to naming things   
> And let's be real here Teresa really is a glorified babysitter


	10. The Tree Was Right!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes find the town the tree spoke of, but with a disturbing twist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little short but it's the start of something bigger

After two more days of walking, it was Cho who finally spotted it. The smoke, snaking up above the trees. Smoke, which was distinctly from a chimney.  
“Over there!” Cho yelled, pointing at the small cloud of smoke.   
Patrick and Teresa both looked towards where he was pointing.   
“What does it mean?” Teresa asked.  
Patrick smiled. “It means the tree was right. We found the town he was talking about.”  
Great exaltation commenced. They all began to cheer and hug, thankful that they were able to go home. Then, in the heat of the moment, Patrick pulled Teresa in for a kiss.  
He didn’t think it through, but he definitely didn’t regret it. At first, Teresa seemed surprised, but instead of pulling away, she leaned deeper into the kiss, pulling herself closer to Patrick.   
When they finally separated, Patrick found himself unable to stop smiling. God, he had waited so long to do that.   
From behind them, Cho cleared his throat. “So are we gonna head towards the town or what?”  
Patrick and Teresa smiled at each other before heading in the direction of the town. Throughout the walk there, they held hands. 

 

When they finally reached the town, they discovered something… odd. There wasn’t a single person on the streets. The town was silent. No people talking, no children laughing, no dogs barking. The silence was eerie.   
Patrick went up to a house and knocked on the door. “Hello? Anyone here?”  
No answer. He twisted the knob, and finding the door unlocked, he slowly opened it.   
What he saw inside almost made him throw up. There was three bodies, all humans, and all charred beyond recognition.   
Teresa leaned beside Patrick to look inside and began to gag. The scent of burned flesh was almost unbearable.   
Cho walked into the house with a hand over his nose and examined the bodies. “This was recent. Whoever did this did it within the last few hours.”  
Patrick went and kneeled beside one of the bodies. Only one thing could have done this level of damage. “Red John. He knew we were coming.”  
“Damnit.” Teresa said. “The tree must’ve betrayed us.”  
Patrick shook his head. “It wasn’t the tree. Red John must’ve been following us for a while. He’s a dragon. He can fly. He’s probably watching us right now.”  
“So what do we do? We can’t fight a dragon just the three of us.” Teresa said, sounding concerned.  
“We have to get back to Sacramento.”

 

They decided not to spend the night in the town. The smell of burnt flesh, the thought of all of the innocent people killed there… it was all too much. Instead, they walked a ways into the woods and set up their tent. Cho sat outside and kept first watch. They had agreed that the best course of action was to have one of them keep watch while the others slept just in case Red John decided to show himself. Teresa and Patrick slept in the tent, and she was cuddled up next to him. Her closeness made him feel safer somehow. He was also secretly very pleased that he had kissed her, and he could tell that she was pleased as well.  
Patrick found that he couldn’t sleep. This happened a lot, nowadays. Some nights he barely got an hour of sleep. He knew it wasn’t healthy, but he couldn’t control his insomnia no matter how hard he tried. He could read people better than anyone else, could heal wounds with just a touch, but if there was one thing he could not do, it was sleep. So instead, he just laid in the darkness of the tent, enjoying Teresa’s company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My knowledge of burned bodies comes almost entirely from the show Bones so if any of this is innacurate that is because I am not a forensic anthropologist


	11. Oh God, Teresa!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick and Teresa talk about their feelings... before something horrible interrupts them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ARE YA READY FOR EMOTIONAL TRAUMA KIDS  
> AYE AYE CAPTAIN  
> I CANT HERE YOU  
> AYE AYE CAPTAIN  
> OOOOOOOOOOOOOH

Back through the woods they went on their way to Sacramento. Even though the town they were in was burned down, they could at least restock their supplies. Plus, winter was approaching, and sure, winter in California was never bad, but they were in the mountains, and winter in the mountains could bite you in the ass. So they managed to scrounge up some winter clothing in what was left in the town.   
On the first day after they left the town, nothing eventful really happened. At one point they thought something was following them, but as it turns out it was just a curious little jackrabbit.   
Patrick and Teresa walked beside each other with Cho walking a little ways ahead. For a while, they walked in silence, neither one of them really wanting to mention the kiss that had happened between them. But Patrick was starting to get anxious.   
He cleared his throat, getting her attention. “So, uh, Teresa, about what happened the other day…”   
He could see the hint of a smile on her face. “You mean the kiss?”  
“I… uh… yeah.” He stuttered.   
“What're you getting at here?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.   
“Well, I think it's about time that I told you that I… uh…” he stuttered again, blushing wildly.   
“You're in love with me.” She said, a full smile crossing her face. “I heard your conversation with Cho.”   
Patrick sighed in relief. “Yes, I am in love with you. Are you, yknow…”  
She rolled her eyes. “Of course I love you too. How could I not?”  
Patrick felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. “Oh man, you don't know how good it feels to finally tell you.”  
She looked deep into his eyes. “Say it again.”  
They stopped walking, and he brushed a hand along her cheek. “I love you, Teresa.”  
She put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. This one was not an impromptu kiss brought about suddenly, no, this one meant something. It represented the weeks of built-up longing, that was finally released when their lips made contact. Her hands coursed through his hair, pulling him as close to her as he could be. He closed his eyes, the only thought in his mind being how much he was in love with her.   
Then, Cho coughed from behind them, shattering the mood like a fist through a mirror. “Not to interrupt the lovefest, but there's something you both should see…”  
Patrick and Teresa broke apart, awkwardly looking towards Cho. They had almost forgotten he was there. Oops.   
Then, they noticed it. The dragon, soaring above them like an angel of death. It blew fire out across the trees, searing the canopy and creating a raging forest fire in front of them.   
“Shit!” Patrick yelled, as he realized that he recognized the dragon. It was Red John. Red John, who had destroyed everything Patrick loved. Red John, who came to destroy it again.   
Teresa looked from the dragon to Patrick. “Is it him?”   
But he didn't need to tell her. His expression was enough. Damnit. This wasn't how he wanted to encounter him again. Not out in the woods, far from home, with only two other people. But Red John probably knew that, which was why he was attacking now.   
“Patrick! You need to focus!” Teresa yelled, shaking him by the shoulders. He was dragged out of his stupor and back into reality. He slowly pulled out his dagger. His only weapon. Not exactly ideal for facing a dragon.   
Teresa pulled out her bow and tried to shoot at Red John, but the arrows merely glanced off of his scales. Patrick knew that the only way to kill this son of a bitch would be to hit him right between the scales over his heart, but he also knew that that would be extremely hard to do.   
The dragon landed in a clearing in front of them and sneered. “Hello, Patrick. I see you've made some friends.”   
Patrick gripped his dagger tighter and glared at the monster who had killed his family. “Why are you here?”  
“Oh, Patrick.” Red John’s gravelly voice spoke. “If I told you about all of my plans, it wouldn't be as much fun to torment you.”   
“I’ll kill you.” Patrick growled. He had never realized how terrifying he could sound when he was threatening someone. It almost scared him. But he was ready to kill this bastard, even if it meant dying himself. Sure, some might see it as a pointless pursuit of vengeance, but to him it wasn't pointless. He would get revenge on the dragon who ruined his life.   
“I’d love to stay and chat, but I have things to do, people to kill.” He gave a horrifying smile. “See you later.”  
Red John flapped his giant, leathery wings and lifted into the air. Before Patrick could respond, the dragon flew towards him with its claws open. Patrick braced for impact… but it wasn't him he was going for.   
“TERESA!” Patrick screamed as Red John grasped her in his claws, yanking her into the air.   
“PATRICK!” Teresa yelled as the dragon began to fly away. “I LOVE YOU!”  
Patrick felt tears coming to his eyes. “I’LL FIND YOU, TERESA! I SWEAR TO GOD, I’LL FIND YOU!”   
The dragon flew away over the trees, and Patrick began to cry. “Oh god, Teresa… I’ll… I’ll find you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing something emotionally traumatic in a fic and let me tell you this has been an interesting experience because I almost started crying while writing this   
> Also if you don't know what the Red John dragon would look like I like to let people leave it up to their imagination


	12. Well This Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teresa has been captured by Red John, and she is not happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short but I feel like it's really good? Idk I really enjoy this one  
> Then again I always find Lisbon easier to write than Jane for some reason. Also if you hadn't guessed this chapter is centered around Lisbon.

Teresa awoke from a deep slumber only to find herself chained to a rock. Ugh. The dragon Red John had kidnapped her and brought her to his lair, but made sure to knock her out beforehand and get rid of her armor so that she couldn't escape easily. Well wasn't that just dandy. If she ever managed to get out of this, she would probably help Patrick kill the SOB.   
Her thoughts went back to Patrick. Oh, poor Patrick. This just added insult to injury, on account that Red John had killed his wife and child and had now kidnapped the person he loved.   
And yknow, the first time she met him, she thought he was a stuck-up little bastard, who was only focused on himself. But as she had gotten to know him better, she eventually realized that he was actually a good person, and found herself to be falling in love with him. It was an interesting experience, as she had never fallen in love like that before. Slow and steady, instead of just jumping into it. She sort of preferred this way. It allowed you more time to think about it.   
She heard a sound behind her and tried to turn, only to find out that the chains holding her to the rock prevented her from turning all the way around. Well. How wonderful.   
“Good morning, Teresa. Sleep well?” The voice of Red John spoke from behind her. The asshole had probably been watching her. If she managed to get out of these chains, she swore she would kill him with her own two hands.   
“Go to hell, freak.” She growled back. She wasn't going to let him get control over her like he had done with so many others.   
“Oh my dear, you better get used to hearing my voice.” He said, his gravelly voice almost causing her to shudder. “You’re going to be here for a looooong time.”  
Teresa sneered. “Patrick is going to find me, and then he’s going to kill you, and you won't be able to do anything about it.”  
The dragon gave a terrible laugh and walked towards her. “Just keep telling yourself that, my dear.”  
“Go to hell.” She said, spitting into his face.   
He wiped the spit off with a clawed hand and glared. “Oh, you're going to regret that.”  
Before she could respond, he flew off, leaving her to sit in the darkness. She sighed and sat back against the rock she was chained too.   
“Well this sucks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lisbon is such a great character and I love her so much   
> I love her almost as much as I love Jane


	13. Figuring Things Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick finds people to help in the search for Teresa, meeting a miss Grace Van Pelt in his search.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am SO SORRY that this is so late, I've just been really off my game ever since Christmas break, but I'm back in action now, so get ready.

Patrick paced back and forth, pondering how to approach their problem. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out where Red John’s lair was, and that was likely where he was keeping Teresa. He was so distraught he could barely think. What should they do? Where do they go from here?  
“Jane.” Cho said, tapping him on the shoulder, causing him to stop pacing for a second.   
“What is it, Cho?” Patrick asked.   
“We need to talk about where to go from here. You can't just lock yourself in your head again.” Cho’s expression grew concerned. Well, as concerned as Cho could look. It was always hard to tell with him.   
“We have to find her, Cho.”   
Cho nodded. “We will. We should probably try to find Sacramento first. Stock up on supplies, tell people about the situation.”  
Patrick ran a hand through his hair. “Alright. We should be getting close, anyway.”   
Cho put a hand on Patrick’s shoulder, which was probably the most affection Patrick had ever seen Cho give someone. “She’ll be alright.”  
Patrick gave a pained smile. “I’m sure she will.”  
For a period of time, they walked silently through the woods. And that's when they heard it. It wasn't the sound of trees rustling in the wind, nor the sound of a giant beast coming out of the woods to try to kill them. No, this was the sound of people. Talking, laughing, yelling. Patrick and Cho both heard it at the same time. Then, they began to run, dashing as fast as they could towards the source of the sound. Who knows how far away it really was. That didn't matter to them at this point. They were just so desperate, so anxious to find civilization, that they just ran.   
Finally, they broke the treeline and came upon a field filled with horses. A ways in the distance, they saw a stable, and standing beside the stable shovelling manure was a person.   
“HEY! YOU THERE!” They yelled, running towards the person. They whipped around and gasped, definitely not expecting to see the crown prince and his lead advisor dashing out of the woods. Patrick could only guess how horrifying they looked after being lost in the woods for weeks. But that didn't matter anymore. They had finally reached civilization. They were finally back home. They could finally gather troops and head out into the mountains to find Red John and Teresa.   
The city rejoiced at the return of their prince. They wanted to hold a large festival in commemoration of his return, but Patrick didn't want that. Patrick just wanted to find Teresa.   
A day or so after his return, Patrick found himself walking through the Royal stables. There was a number of pegasi and horses, along with the occasional unicorn. But there was one specific Pegasus he was looking for.   
“Ah! There you are.” He said when he reached Sugar’s stall. The Pegasus looked no different from when it had left them in the forest for dead. What a lovely horse.   
The horse whinnied and nuzzled Patrick with its head. It seemed happy to see him.   
He patted its nose absentmindedly. “You wanna help me find Teresa?”  
The Pegasus did something which appeared to be a nod, and Patrick smiled. He opened up the stall and led Sugar out into the pasture by the reins. He put a foot in the stirrup and swung himself onto the saddle, but before he could fly off, he heard a voice behind him.   
“Hold on!” Yelled a woman. She was dressed in riding gear, her ginger hair tied in a ponytail. “That Pegasus isn't safe! He doesn't like people.”  
Patrick turned to face her, and she took a step back.   
“Uh, Prince Patrick! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you…” she said, turning red.   
“Nonsense, you were just doing your job.” He said, sliding off of the Pegasus. “What's your name, if I may ask?”  
“Grace Van Pelt, sir.” She said, smiling and bowing. She clearly hadn't expected to meet the prince today.   
Patrick held out his hand, and she happily shook it. “Nice to meet you, Grace.” He paused, examining her for a moment. She seemed like a trustworthy person, someone who could be loyal and work hard. Exactly the type of person he was looking for in the search for Teresa. “Grace, could I ask for your help with something?”  
She raised an eyebrow. “Is it dangerous?”  
“It might be.” Patrick could've sworn he saw a spark of interest in her face. “I need your help to find Teresa.”   
“Wait a second.” Grace folded her arms and pretended to look skeptical, however she couldn't hide her apparent interest. “Wasn't she kidnapped by a dragon?”  
Patrick nodded. “Yes. So you'll help?”  
Grace smiled. “Count me in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't the best but that's ok the story will get more interesting in a chapter or two I just really wanted to introduce Van Pelt


End file.
